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As Magic Me begins the search for a new Chair of Trustees, we asked out going Chair David Russell to sum up his own experience of his time on our Board and suggest what might be first on the agenda for the next person in the role.
‘Magic Me is always learning and renewing’ he said ‘and by being Chair you get to serve the charity’s mission and support its work. It’s an organisation in it for the long term, and its current work builds on years of learning, co-production and expertise developed locally and from international best practice. The new Chair will be making a contribution to a wider, longer story and movement’.
David, who joined the Board in 2019, helped steer Magic Me through Covid, the process of becoming an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation, and the introduction of a new joint-CEO leadership model after the retirement of our Founder Director Susan Langford.
‘In a faster moving and ever-changing world, supporting the team and the work is key. Magic Me is about to launch a new five-year strategy, which is an exciting period in any organisation’s timeline. Nationally, the Casey Commission (an independent review tasked with reforming adult social care in England) and a new Prime Minister with direct experience of the system brings new focus to social care. Magic Me has a long legacy of working in the sector, and we are well placed to share our award-winning creative work in care homes which supports staff and improves lives of residents’.
‘For many years, organisations like Magic Me have ploughed a lonely furrow, championing the role of the arts in the most unlikely of places. While the beneficial connection between arts engagement and wellbeing is now a more mainstream idea as the sector has come to understand more about the social determinants of health, there is still a way to go. Additional support and funding would offer the potential to reach a wider audience and participant body more deeply’.
David is a member of the LGBTQ+ community and was aged under 40 when he joined the Board. He says that in many ways he was an unlikely Chair – the average age of Trustees in the charity sector is between 65 and 69. Magic Me embodies its values in the recruitment of its staff, artists and Trustees and wants to continue building an inclusive, collaborative organisation.
We’re very grateful to David for his expertise and dedication during his time with us, and with him the very best of luck for his next adventures.
If you’re interested in knowing more about the Chair’s role at Magic Me, explore the full role description and recruitment pack here: https://magicme.co.uk/opportunity/chair-of-board-of-trustees/.
‘Being a Trustee and Chair of Magic Me has been one of the most fulfilling roles of my career, where I have been able to learn, contribute and make sure there is a little more magic and joy in the world’
